disclaimer

I don’t want to see my name in lights
Or hear thunderous applause
I only want to bless you
And feel the smile of God

Nothing New Under the Sun

We hoard earthly treasures
But they'll one day corrode
We chase fleeting pleasures
And find they implode

Our bodies decay
We can't count on our health
We long for security
And strive after wealth

Like chasing the wind,
We circle in vain
Restless, we worry
And deny we're in pain

Trying to numb
The internal hole
Of our empty, yet always
Eternal soul

But God so rich in mercy
Longs to lavish peace
Exceedingly, abundantly
Beyond our wildest dreams

With love overflowing
He freely gives His best
Removes our sins as far
As east is from the west

And He prepares a place for us
Where nothing can destroy
Boundless love
And unrestrained, unending joy

A place whose entrance
None could e'er afford
Except by trusting Jesus
As Saviour and as Lord

And It Was Good

God looked upon creation and He smiled
His glory was reflected, undefiled
He painted the flowers and splashed every dawn
Sculpted the elephant and speckled the fawn

Planets and stars He strategically placed
Into the farthest reaches of space
He handcrafted Everest and things microscopic
Of every good thing He inspired the topic

His fingerprints are well interspersed
Through the entirety of this universe
His undeniable power is revealed everywhere
A cause to worship the One whose image we bear


If Christ Be Dead--1 Corinthians 15:17

If Christ be dead in that dark tomb,
Then dead our hope and sealed our doom
To walk a futile path chained in sin's prison
But Hallelujah, Christ has risen!
He has conquered death and sin
So we're now free to walk with Him,
To leap for joy and dance and sing
Praising our victorious King
-----
April 6, 2004

Paul's Letter to the Philippians

Paul corresponded from his prison cell
To the church at Philippi
And though he was in chains
Joy remained his heartfelt cry

For he said, "To live is Christ
And to die is surely gain
Rejoice, rejoice"
Was his encouraging refrain

He considered everything a loss
Compared to knowing Christ
So he pressed toward the goal
For the reward of heaven's prize

"Rejoice in the Lord
For He is near
So ask Him for your needs
There is no cause for fear

For the peace of God
Which passes understanding
Will guard your hearts and minds
And leave you in good standing"

Paul urged us all to think on things
That are true and noble, right
Whatever's pure and lovely
Should be the focus of our minds

He had learned the secret of contentment

In every diverse hour:
I can do all things through Christ
Who gives me power

"My God will supply all your needs,"
He declared as he greeted them
"And the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
Be with your spirit. Amen"
-----
December 4, 2004

Lazarus

Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus
Their brother whom He loved was ill
He said, "This sickness will not end in death,
But that the glory of God's Son is fulfilled"

When two days had passed, Jesus and His disciples
Began for Bethany as the sun lit the morning
By the time they arrived they found the 2 sisters
Being comforted by friends in their mourning

Martha sought Jesus to tell Him,
"If You had been here, Lazarus wouldn't have died"
For she believed Jesus was the Messiah
He said, "I am the Resurrection and Life"

Soon Mary joined Jesus and fell at His feet
Her tears falling down unrestrained
When Christ saw the Jews displaying their grief
He wept, His spirit troubled and pained

Then Jesus went to the tomb where Lazarus lay
With strips of linen wrapped around
Both his icy cold hands and his feet;
Like a prisoner of death, he was bound

Still Jesus called, "Lazarus, come forth!"
He made no struggle with this obvious choice
Released from death's grip, he followed Christ
When he heard the Saviour's powerful voice
-----
July 15, 2004

Noah

Noah found favour in the eyes of the Lord
In a world full of violence and corruption
God was so grieved by mankind's sin
He made plans to ensure its destruction

God commanded Noah to build an ark,
Of cypress wood and He told him the girth,
To preserve his family, and God's creatures
And then He would flood the earth

Two by two the animals entered
The vessel supplied as a refuge
Then the Lord seal them safely within
Before the genesis of the deluge

It rained 40 days and it rained 40 nights
Until all of the world was covered
Then the waters slowly abated
And on Ararat the boat hovered

Noah sent out a dove until it returned
Delivering an olive leaf in the sun
A symbol of peace, newly restored
Between the Creator and His creation

A year had elapsed since any of them
Had seen or walked upon sod
Having endured, they now were released
Then Noah built an altar to God

God made a covenant: Never again
Would floodwaters so overflow
Then He placed in the sky, a reminder
A vivid, vibrant rainbow

As descendants of Noah, we can see
Reminders of God all around
Even during the storms of life
God's faithfulness still can be found
-----
April 30, 2004

Relentlessly

Relentlessly
They broke His flesh
Like brutal savages
Ravenous for blood

They scourged His body
With twisted pleasure
And mocked Him
With diabolical jeers
As they whipped His back
To shreds

Driven by depravity
They pierced nails
Into His hands
And feet
And raised Him up
For all the world
To see

And Jesus forgave all
All because He loves
Relentlessly
-----
February 29, 2004

The Prodigal Son--Luke 15:11-32

The father waited, watching
Longing for his child's return
When sorrow one day
To gladness would turn

For many long years his son squandered
The gifts that his father had shared
Until he came to the end of himself
In the depths of shame and despair

Humbled, he came,
Broken, repentant
To offer his life
To be used as a servant

From a far off his father saw him approaching
At once he rushed to his side
Embracing, rejoicing
For the one that he thought had died

Then the father prepared
A feast for a king
And lavished his son
With royal robes and a ring

Oh, what a love
Our Father possesses
Instead of curses deserved
He graciously blesses

He forgives us our past
However far that we've roamed
One step toward Him
And He welcomes us home
-----
October 8, 2003

Joyful Union

Coming for His bride,
Christ emerges through the clouds,
Lifting the veil


Psalm 139

Within the womb, together You knit
All my inward parts
May every fiber of my being
Proclaim how great Thou art

May I bow before You
Trembling with fear and wonder
Shout praise for Your marvellous works
That speak aloud like thunder

If I take the wings of the morning
And dwell in the depths of the sea
If I hide in the darkness of night
Your spirit is not lost from me

How precious are Your thoughts to me
How great is their total amount
Greater than the number of sand
Much higher than one can count

You have searched me and known
When I recline and when I stand
My thoughts, where I go
All my ways You understand

Each day of my life You've designed
And in Your book You've inscribed
While I was yet unformed
Before one day came to light

You hear every word that I speak
You follow me and You lead
I am overwhelmed by this thought--
You are an awesome God

Search me, O God, my heart comprehend,
My anxieties test
See if any evil lurks within
And lead me in the path that You bless
-----
July 16, 2002

Aye, Said the Donkey

God saw fit to use a donkey
Tired from travel, weary, worn
To carry the Messiah
To a stable to be born

God saw fit to use a donkey
To carry, amid the throng
Israel's anticipated King
As hosannas filled their song

God still sees fit to use
The lowly and the humble
Even a stubborn mule like me
Whose feet too often stumble

God sees things we cannot see
His ways are so much higher
But He can do so much through us
When we give all He requires
-----
March 24, 2002

God's Love Letter

Throughout the ages
This best-selling book has no rival
Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth
Are found within the Bible

No characters there are fairy-tale sweet
Sex and murder and lies are replete
Page upon page in chapter and verse
Show the wages of sin and its curse

Yet prophecy spoke of the future to come
That a virgin would one day conceive
Giving birth to a Saviour
For all who would believe

His miraculous deeds have been told and retold
His death on a cross you have heard
But have you taken the time
To read these life-changing words

Food, for the hungering soul
Light, for those lost in the dark
Wisdom for those that seek
Words that will leave their mark

So dust off the cover and take a fresh look
And see what it says in this most holy book
You'll find more than where angels have trod
If you open your heart, you'll see God
-----
July 23, 2001

Meeting Jesus, One Radical Encounter--Luke 7:11-17

As Jesus neared the town of Nain
With a crowd following after,
He met another crowd along the way
Devoid of any laughter

A widow's only son was dead
And they were headed to the gravesite
When Jesus told her, "Do not cry"
And to the young man, "Arise"

Reunited with living,
The crowd was filled with awe
And praises to
Their good and gracious God

The story spread like wildfire
Throughout the surrounding region
"We were on our way to a funeral
When Jesus entered the scene..."
-----
December 22, 2011

The Suffering Servant--Isaiah 53

The Father saw Him tender and pure
But in our eyes, there was no allure
We despised Him, forsook
We turned our backs, refused to look

Yet our grief weighed Him down
Our sorrows He bore
And we thought they were His sins
He was punished for

He was wounded and bruised for us
He was whipped, He was beat
So we could be healed
And we could know peace

We were the ones
Who, like sheep, from God strayed
Yet on Him our guilt
And sin had been laid

He was oppressed and afflicted
Yet never spoke to defend
Like a lamb to the slaughter
Before those that condemned

From prison and trial
Then to His death He was led
But who of us knew
That He suffered and died in our stead

He was buried like a criminal
In a rich man's grave
Yet He did no wrong
Nor an evil word did He say

Yet all of His suffering
Was part of God's plan
His death, the sacrifice
To bring forgiveness to man

So He shall live again
With a multitude of sons
God shall prosper in His plan
That His servant will have done

Thus His honour shall be great
Since He gave His life, His all
Shared the fate that we deserved
And pled with God for us all
-----
1992

Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord

Prepare ye the way of the Lord
Make a straight path for Him here
Into the heart of the world
Exiled in bondage and fear
Release those held captive in chains
That once had bound you before
Let justice and mercy flow through you
Prepare ye the way of the Lord
-----
November 16, 2008
(inspired by Jesus Wants to Save Christians by Rob Bell)

Who I Am In Christ

I'm accepted by Christ
For He calls me His child
Forgiven, redeemed
I've been reconciled
Secure in His love
There is no condemnation
His grace is sufficient
For each situation
I may boldly approach Him
For all that I need
As a branch to the Vine
To His strength, I will cleave
-----
July 9, 2008
(inspired by Who I Am In Christ by Neil Anderson)

Mary Magdalene

Misjudged by many
Truly demonized
She was

Spiritual oppression
Hovered over her
Taking her places
She would never devise

Until the day
Christ set her free--
Her praise was absolute

She followed Christ, devoted
Until her tears
Flowed at His feet
As He hung upon
The lonely cross

Mournfully,
She carried myrrh
To the entrance of His tomb
But found Him not

Racing to Peter and John
She relayed her distress
Then she returned
And slowly peered
Into the shadows

Two angels robed in white
Inquired of her tears
Then as she spoke
She turned
And saw a man
Who she knew not
Until
He called her name

Jesus urged her
To tell the others
That He had risen
Just as He said

Abandoning her grief
She quickly flew
Rejoicing,
"I've seen the Lord,
I've seen the Lord!"

The words of Mary Magdalene
Echo on my lips
-----
May 23, 2008

David and Goliath--1 Samuel 17

A giant stood before him
That would cause most men to fear
But David did not tremble
For he knew the Lord was near

In his own strength,
He certainly would cower
But he faced his fear
With the Almighty's power

He did not merely stand
Or move into retreat
He aligned up with the Lord
To achieve the victory

He offered up himself
As a servant of the King
Trusting in the Shepherd
To deliver him again

He would not be destroyed
By this giant that he faced
For he knew God had prepared him
For such a time and place

He was armed with faith and trust
For the battle he was in-
The Lord, his rock and shield
Who gave him strength to win
-----
May 4, 2008

Love Is--1 Corinthians 13

If I speak with tongues
That bear a heavenly sound
But have not love
My words fall to the ground

If I can prophesy
And all mysteries discern
If I give all I possess away
And allow my body to be burned

If I have a faith that can
Make a mountain move
But have not love
What does that prove?

Love is patient, love is kind
Love keeps the other first in mind
Love does not envy, does not boast
Thinking the other deserves the most

Love is not proud, and rude it is not
Nor is it selfish, or with a temper too hot
Love always forgives, and then forgets, too
Only rejoicing in what is the truth

Love always protects, always trusts
Hope and perseverance are also a must
Love never fails, not ever
Love is...forever

Prophecies, they will cease
And tongues, they will be stilled
Knowledge will pass away
When perfection is instilled

When I was a child
I spoke and thought in kind
When I became a man
I left childish ways behind

Now we see in mirrored glass
But a poor reflection
Then we shall see face to face
When eyes will see perfection

Now I know in part
Then I shall fully know
Even as
I am fully known

Now these three abide:
Faith, hope and love
But the greatest of these
Is love
-----
1982-2008

Unchain Me, Chronos

Unchain me, Chronos
From the treadmill of time
So I may drink deeply
Of seasons and wine

Bind me no more
You three-handed beast
Let my spirit be free
To celebrate feasts

To seize golden moments
And release wasted sorrow
To savour each flavour
Like there's no more tomorrow
-----
May 31, 2006
(inspired by The Rest of God by Mark Buchanan)

Prophecy is Unfolding (Matthew 24)

Prophecy is unfolding Before our very eyes   A new world  order  is coming    Ruled by deception and lies Do not be alarmed    When wars and...